V O I D
by Attack on MLG
Summary: Post-apocalypseAU. Upon finding Max and Edward on the hunt for shelter, Gwen and David are forced to take responsibility and keep them safe throughout the toxic reality the world became. With dangerous encounters and questioning actions, the four will have to choose between their head or heart, even if it means going against the majority. Contains dark and controversial themes.R&R
1. T h r e a t s

**Yo heres another Camp Camp fanfic cuz why the fuck not? Set in like a post-apocalyptic world with like war n shit. Idk, I've had this idea for ages and I'm finally gonna start posting it. Character's will be aged up/down wherever I see fit. Enjoy and review (please)!**

* * *

"How many?"

"Eight. Again…"

David grumbled as he stuffed the cans into his satchel, rolling his eyes in annoyance. The room was still cluttered with dust and rubble, as well as the odd smear of dried blood across the walls and floor. Despite it being daytime the curtains and remained closed no matter what. It was a rule.

A queen sized bed was in the room's centre with a wooden closet and a bedside table keeping it company, not to mention the shattered, mini chandelier dangling loosely from the ceiling. The man licked his lips as he continued filling the satchel with whatever he assumed they would need, making sure not to cut himself on any more bits of glass or wood. He shivered, the warmth of his stolen hoodie clearly testing his limits. At least his jeans were keeping up to good standard, minus a couple rips, that is.

The brunet watched him quietly from the corner, leaning carefully against a nearby wall. Her gaze was half lidded and stern, as if she were contemplating something, or just very tired. Or both. Her hair was tied back in a messy, rushed ponytail that was loosening by the second– she didn't care, though. The idea of being concerned from her appearance was long gone, considering the duo's circumstances. She was clad in a dark green button up shirt and a pair of maroon shorts that were covered in different belts and makeshift contraptions containing god-knows-what.

She stared blankly down at her feet as she watched the blood from a fresh, unknown cut run down her leg and into her white sock, the red fluid absorbing in the fabric, before disappearing inside her sneaker. She rolled her eyes.

Casually her eyes locked with David's, before turning to examine the closed door on the other side of the bedroom. David proceeded to search for supplies as the female strolled over to the side of the closet and picked up machete knife, holding it tightly in her grip as she approached the door silently.

"You'll know if I need backup."

"When do you ever need backup?" David chuckled lightly, not looking up from his satchel.

Smirking, she held her ear against the door as her spare hand found its way around the door knob. The door was quick to clumsily thump open as Gwen leapt out and into an aggressive battle stance, the deadly blade stretched outwards and ready to cut anything in its path.

But no.

No one was there.

No one, apart from the horrified teenager catching his breath as he sat stumbled across the floor. The redhead held his hand to his chest as he panted heavily, the sheer fear in his eyes catching Gwen off guard. Despite the realisation, she didn't lower her weapon, only choosing to stare down at the boy with as much dominance and intimidation as she could force out.

"If you're here to force us into the Military then fuck off." She spoke sternly, ignoring the fact that the boy had yet to process process what was going on.

He swallowed thickly as his eyes flickered up and down the new human. "P-Please don't hurt me…! We're o-only looking for f-food!"

Gwen inhaled deeply as her eyes fooled once more, not really in the mood for anything. She relaxed visibly and stuffed the knife harshly into one of the sheaths around her waist. "Okay, kid, here's the deal. You can crash here as long as you listen and follow my orders. I know more shit than you and I wouldn't wanna try to prove me wrong." She paused. "You said " _we_ "?"

"We? Oh! Yes, hang on." He cupped his hands around his mouth as he sat up properly and projected his voice in the direction of a corridor leading deeper into the house. "MAX!"

The sound of rapid footsteps came to an abrupt halt as another boy dashed into the landing area, clearly expecting trouble. Just looking at him, Gwen could tell that he was considerably shorter than the paler boy. He had dark hair that was tied back in a poor excuse for a messy bun, making him look quite feminine, despite his apparent boyish figure. He was sporting a pair of scuffed sneakers, skinny jeans that were most likely too small for him and a dirtied yellow shirt.

He and the other boy where stark contrasts of each other, which amused Gwen slightly.

Max glared at the girl with dark emerald eyes, no sign of life in sight.

"Not the talker?"

"It takes a while for him to loosen up." The redhead commented as he brushed himself off, standing up as he stuck out his hand. "Now that we're practically best friends, the names Edward. But you can call me Eddie."

"I think I'll stick with Edward, thanks." She smiled sweetly and shook his hand, not fazed by how sweaty it was. "Gwen."

Edward grinned brightly. "Ah, Gwendolyn!-"

" _Gwen_."

"Gwen… it's nice. I hope we can be of good help to you, Gwen!"

Gwen pursed her lips and nodded firmly, starting to regret her decision. She paused before taking a second glance at Edward. The teenager wore similar jeans o Max, but they weren't as tight-fitting, but were the same shade of navy blue. On his top half was a beige polo shirt with brown lining, nothing too fancy but it was definitely less dirty than his other pieces of attire.

"I swear to god, if you turn out to be some kind of stuck up little prick I'm gonna cut you."

"Hey, Gwen? What's going on out there?" David calmly strolled out the door and stood next to his friend, brows narrowed as he stared at the two random boys in front of them. "I'm guessing you boys want us to not kill you."

"Yes."

"Names?"

"Uh, that's Edward-"

"Eddie."

" _Edward_. And that's Max."

David glanced over at the shortest person, unfazed by the flash of anger and trauma that flickered in the young boy's eyes. "Well, nice to meet you boys! I'm David, and of course I would apologize for your meeting with Gwen, but we can't really help it."

"Don't bother apologizing, David. Who can blame her for being so ruthless in these desperate situations?"

"I like this kid." Gwen scoffed snarkily and jabbed David with her elbow. "Welp, come on you little shits. Bout time you boys got some proper food in ya."


	2. W o u n d s

**Contains low-key Badvid/Hardcore David but also with some dadvid undertones? And some hardcore Gwen as well cuz I fucking love her? Idk man take it how you want but lots of stuff goes down in this chapters, so yeah, enjoy.**

 **And review. Please review.**

* * *

The two adults stepped aside as the teenagers curiously wondered inside, the older of the two beaming with excitement as he awkwardly, but comfortably perched himself on the edge of the bed. Max remained silent and sat on the floor beside Edwards feet, staring down at his scraped knuckles as they rested on his lap.

Gwen was quick to squat down and being searching through the closet for spare food, knowing that it would be hidden at the back for safe keeping. David leant carefully against the wall opposite the bed, quietly examining the new boys.

"How old are you two, again?" He asked quite firmly.

Edward cast a glance down at the raven. "I'm seventeen… I think… and Max, from what I can remember, is around fifteen or sixteen? Maybe sixteen?"

"That's assuring. At least we know you're both mature enough to understand instructions." The redhead pursed his lips as he straightening his posture. "How long have you two been doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Surviving."

"I…" He sighed and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a rather expensive watch. "Uhhh… about a week?-"

"Holy shit." Gwen looked up from the closet floor, eyes wide as she stared at the boy. "How much did that cost?"

Edward shot her a stern glare. "That's none of your business, _Gwendolyn._ "

The brunet countered the child's glare with one of equal irritation. Huffing, she handed them their rations. Max didn't hesitate to take a large mouthful of the surprisingly edible slice of bread, quickly washing it down with a gulp of flat diet pepsi. The other teen pursed his lips as he glanced down at the food on his lap. He relaxed in his seat and opened the once-fizzy beverage, taking a small sip as he met David's gaze. Confused, he stared back. "Is something wrong?"

"Don't speak to her like that." His tone was stern. "Do you really think it's a good idea pissing off people who could kill you at any point in your sleep?"

Edward stayed silent, tensing as the man continued.

"We don't know how much longer we've got until we have to find another Camp, so if I were you I'd start proving your worth. You don't want to be known as the most expendable."

"I-Wha- Max hasn't down anything heroic yet? When we were on our own all he bothered to do was hide behind me!"

David shifted his stare down onto Max, the quiet boy staring down at his lap. His brows narrowed.

Gwen suddenly interjected, standing next to her friend against the wall. "He was ready to kill me when you called for him earlier."

"That's called trust. We trust each other with our lives, safety and overall protection. Surely you and David can relate?"

"That's a stupid question." David retorted in irritation. "Yes, we trust one another greatly, but we would murder each other if we had to. So the question is: Would you murder your only companion if it was the right thing to do?"

* * *

David coughed into his fist as he entered the abandoned living room, catching the attention of the child sat cross-legged against the dusty couch. He looked up from the pile of random objects in front of him and met the elder's gaze with a cold stare.

"Gwen and Eddie are out for a while – scouting out the area for potential camps." He raised a brow curiously. "What are you doing?"

A large kitchen knife was placed carelessly in the boy's lap, along with a bunch of branches. Before he new it the redhead was crouched beside him with a soft grin plastered on his lips. "You can sit in the couch, you know?"

Max cocked his head as he was beckoned into the couch, David already sitting and waiting patiently for him. "It's not gonna bite."

The raven glanced down at the objects as he scooped them all up in one go and slowly positioned himself on the edge of the couch. He gave the elder a second glance as he awkwardly tried to stay up.

"Sit on it properly, Max." This time he sounded slightly more annoyed. Swallowing thickly, the boy shuffled backwards until he was comfortably sat upright. "There you go. God, it's like you've never sat on one for these before!" He chuckled lightly and returned his attention back to the branches in the boy's bloody arms.

Wait.

A long, swallow slice slit across the child's forearm, blood seeping from the wound and onto his shirt. Max gulped and stared blankly at the cut, watching the blood as if it were nothing. David noticed the glassiness of his eyes and the tears threatening to fall. "Keep breathing. Let me-"

" **No.** "

Max… _spoke?_

David observed the boy in sheer concern and bewilderment, baffled by how someone could stay calm in such a situation. "I'm cleaning you up, Max. Don't bothered refusing. Hang on a minute." He began rummaging through his satchel, eyes glued downwards as he chewed his lip anxiously.

Max winced as he pushed the branches and knife clumsily onto the floor, raising his uninjured arm to his mouth and biting down on his wrist with his teeth.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! No! Don't be so stupid, let me sort you out!" He forced his arm harshly back down, the raven letting out a sharp growl of discomfort as his wounded arm was pulled forward. David inhaled and exhaled heavily at the sound, a sharp bolt of guilt stabbing through him. Quickly he began wrapping the cut with the bandages, not caring about cleaning the wound. Max watched him with wide eyes in silence.

Once finished, David returned the bandages back into his satchel. He snorted when he caught Max staring. "What? You've never been sliced before?"

"I've never been bandaged up by anyone before…"

"Hm, yeah, well don't expect it to happen all the time." He paused as his attention went to the boy's right wrist. It was laced with bruises and scars that where undoubtedly caused by teeth. "I see the whole biting thing is a habit of yours?"

Max nodded.

The redhead suddenly became much more stern with a his tone. "Well should really stop. It's not healthy."

Max nodded.

 _Silence._

A few moments passed before a lightbulb went off in the elder's head. He picked up a few of the branches and placed them between the two of them on the couch, pulling out a dusty roll of duct tape and handing it to the raven. "Pros of being a previous boy scout? You know exactly what kind of shit to take with you. C'mon then, what'cha making then?"

"Knife stick." Max muttered, grunting as he carefully lined up the ends of two branches and began awkwardly covering it in the grey tape.

David laughed. "Knife stick? You mean a spear?"

" _Knife stick._ "

"Heh… okay then. Knife stick it is-"

" _David?!_ "

The sound of shuffling feet and a door opening and closing caught the duo's attention. "In here! The living room!"

Gwen poked her head room the door, pursing her lips as she and Edward strolled in. The brunette was sporting a fresh black eye and a small cut across her cheek dangerously close to her other eye, gripping her usual machete knife. It was splattered with blood. Edward had a noticeable limp as well as a nasty bruise on the side of his jaw, to which he was holding gently.

"What the hell happened to you?" David exclaimed, eyes darkening.

The redhead swallowed thickly in nervousness. "We got jumped b-by a group of men. They were swearing and trying to grab-"

"It was like I was the only female they'd seen in months." Gwen muttered, her expression bored. "I don't think that they'll be messing with anyone any more."

David stared at his friend in concern. Nothing like this had happened before… not this bad at least. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Gwen licked her lips and shook her head, smiling softly. "Nah, it's fine. It's not like they got what they wanted anyways." Edward glanced up at her with an admirable grin, to which the elder returned. "If you weren't with me I don't know what I would've done. Cheers."

"No problem. I'm glad I could prove my worth." He sent David a subtle, yet snug glance.

Max nudged David harshly with his elbow and gestured to the bandage. It was fully stained crimson and was damp and sticky. David rolled his eyes and took hold of the boy's arm, ignoring the sudden questioning from the others.

"Max? Max are you okay?" Edward rushed over to the couch and crouched in front of his friend's feet, eyes wide and panicked. "What the fuck happened?"

The elder huffed as he peeled away the bandage and threw it carelessly behind him, expression blunt as he tutted angrily. "He accidentally cut himself with that knife next to you. Stop fussing."

"He's pale!"

"So are you. Get over it." He retorted.

Edward opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it shortly after. There was no point trying to argue with the stubborn guy.

"Hey… uh, Gwen. D'you have any cloth I could use to clean it up? I can't really see what I'm doing."

"Hang on." She murmured, dropping her machete onto the floor. She grunted as she tore an uneven length of material off her shirt, specifically one of the sleeves. Quickly it was handed to David, who didn't hesitate tending to the task at hand.

Edward swallowed as he stared at the girl.

"You can interact with us, Max." David mused as he noticed the child's forced behaviour. He was silent again, reluctantly refusing to let out any signs of discomfort. He shook his head and leaned back further into the couch, eyes clenched shut as his head began pounding.

"Three…

Two…

One…" Gwen placed her fingers against Max's neck, pursing her lips. "Out cold. Not dead, but not great."

"Fair enough." David nodded and stood up from the couch, brushing off any dirt or blood. "Right, let's go up and prepare for tomorrow."

Edward narrowed his brows in clear anger and annoyance. "W-What? He's just fainted from major blood loss, and you're worried about moving base? W-We didn't even _find_ a new base."

"We found a new base."

"For fucks…" The boy growled and shot the brunette an irritated glare, to which she didn't even react to.

David exhaled. "Go make yourself useful and clear some space for tonight. Gwen, you go as well."

"I- You can't be _serious_ -" He stammered. "What about Max-"

"I'll keep an eye on him." He interrupted sternly, exchanging glances with his friend. "Now go with Gwen."

"B-"

"He said get your ass up those stairs, shit head." Gwen ordered, pointing out the room. "Do it or you'll have me to deal with. " And with that the redhead strolled grumpily out the living room, closely followed by Gwen, bloodstained machete in hand.


	3. S t u t t e r

**FYI this chappie contains a couple violent/gory scenes, but neither go into too much detail. Really enjoying writing this fanfic, so I hope you guys are enjoying reading it! Reviews and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!**

* * *

"Wow, uh, you guys are real sociable aren't you?" Edward stated bluntly, tone flat and unamused. The four of them walked quietly along the sidewalk. The ground beneath them was more or less safe, aside from the occasional broken piece of glass or needle or whatever. Gwen, who was leading the group, informed them of this with a lazy mutter, making sure no one had trodden on whatever it was. He glanced down at his watch, squinting as the sun reflected off he glass and into his eyes.

07:34

He frowned grumpily and looked over his shoulder. Max offered him an optimistic smile when he caught his gaze, before Edward smirked, returning his attention back to the young woman in front of him. How dare he be forced to submit to such a girl. She was stubborn. She was sadistic. She was intelligent. Three traits that he hated the most in a woman. It was obvious she was aware of her status in the group and took complete advantage of her power. It still baffled him how David wasn't in control; yes, the man had yet to prove himself in dire situations, but Gwen? She was only useful in combat. Then again, just because she walks around with a machete doesn't make her tough.

Finally the four were lead into a familiar destination – the one Gwen and Edward had found the day before. It was an abandoned warehouse-type building with a large entrance similar to a garage. The darkness that greeted them as they strolling inside was indeed unwelcoming, but nevertheless Gwen continued onwards. She hesitated as a sudden flash of light flickered on around the group, however not reaching for her weapon. Max drew his knife stick and got into a battle stance, stepping in front of Edward protectively.

The lights from the ceiling lit up the ground floor, revealing a line figure approaching them from a far away corner. David chuckled lightly as he walked over, catching the small boy's determined glare. "Good to know you're always on guard, Max. Watch out for your arm, though, you don't wanna forget that you're injured." His hand made its way into his satchel as he pulled out 75% of a sledge hammer. Some of the pole had been hacked off and left it jagged and splintered, just so it would fit awkwardly inside a rugged old shoulder bag. David handed it to the younger redhead, nodding firmly. "Don't expect us to save your ass."

Edward glanced hastily at his new weapon, holding it curiously in his hands. "Thanks…"

"Enough chit chat." Gwen suddenly spoke. "We'll go up to at least the second floor — discuss further matters once settled."

* * *

The strong smell hit them harder than they expected. David choked into his fist as he closed the stairwell door behind him, lips pursed in a firm line. His gaze met Gwen's with equal suspicion as she stepped away from the other three, giving the boys some space. Edward frowned and strolled closer to the female. "I'm guessing we're not alone." He muttered.

"Damn right."

Max, still at David's side, inhaled deeply, apparently unfazed by the polluted air. The tall redhead furrowed his brows confusedly. He tapped the young boy on the shoulder. "You can smell it, right?" Max cocked his head. "The weed- Oh." He watched as Max shook his head, inhaling once more. Weird.

"Hey, uh, Max and I are gonna scout out the right side, okay? We'll shout if there's any issues" He informed. Gwen rolled her eyes irritably, but nodded in confirmation as they walked their separate ways, Edward clearly annoyed at the pairing decisions.

Once out of sight and ear shot, the elder of the two started up a conversation, genuinely curious. "What's you're deal then? How come you aren't fazed by the drugs?"

Max stared up at David with his usual glare, eyes flickering to the ground as they slowed their pace. "You get used to after a while…" His lips pursed, voice flat and tired. "Before we met you, we always ended up in the wrong places…"

"Hm, yeah. It's always the druggies."

"Yeah… _druggies_ …" The raven adjusted the position of his knife stick against his shoulder, gripping it subconsciously tighter. His stare remained focused on his feet as the pair continued walking past the isles and further away from their (current) only exit. Thankfully the smell of the drugs had lessened by the time they reached an apparent dead end, a large wall decorated with small, uneven holes and splinters of glass in certain areas.

David licked his lips as he took a closer look at the wall, before stepping back to examine the floor at their feet.

Broken shards of glass and plaster crunched underneath the elder's shoes, uncomfortably confirming his suspicions. Max observed this also, his half-lidded stare widening slightly in realisation as he crouched down and picked up a particularly jagged slice of the green transparent material. He carefully raised his other hand and pressed his left index finger against the sharpest edge of the glass as he began pushing his skin harder against the point, visibly distressed as a flash of pain flickered across his face and the blood slowly trickled down.

David stared at the boy in a mix of horror and confusion. Last time he purposely hurt himself was clearly a way of releasing stress… so why now? He sighed in concern as he frowned, keeping the short distance between them as he spoke worriedly. "Why are you- Why are you making yourself bleed?"

Max looked up from his finger, locking his unmoving stare with the elder as he tossed the bloody shard of glass the side carelessly. He raised his finger to his mouth and sucked it almost teasingly whilst he held eye contact. He removed it with a small pop and returned his hand to his side, as if it were nothing.

David let his mouth fall open.

"W-We're gonna discuss this later." He muttered, brows narrowed uncomfortably as he looked around to distract himself. "Just-Just don't do that again. It's weird and it's wrong."

"K." The boy pursed his lips into a casual, smug smile as he finally broke the stare. He raised his hand for inspection and squinted his eyes, wincing as he brushed his finger up and down his shirt to try and get rid of any blood. But to no avail.

Swallowing thickly his expression returned to its usual, bored self, eyes half-lidded and tired as he tutted to himself.

* * *

Edward coughed into his fist as the strong smell failed to disappear, stinging his eyes painfully as it burned his throat. Gwen, despite her calm demeanour, was equally repulsed by the unpleasant smell, wondering whether they'd get high just by breathing. The two strolled quietly through the isles, not wanting to be spotted straight off the bat.

The brunette growled under her breath as her glare narrowed determinedly, sharply tugging the teen against a nearby divider and silencing him with her palm clapped over his mouth. With his back pinning against the cold wall, the redhead panted heavily, eyes wide as they flickered frantically over her. She stared at him threateningly.

"How hard can you swing a hammer?" She took a second glance to her right, checking if the coast was clear. Edward muttered something under her hand, to which Gwen took as an unsure "maybe".

She rolled her eyes.

Footsteps.

The unmistakable sound of someone walking altered his senses as he forced off the elder's hand, taking in a deep breath. His fingers tightened around his sledge hammer as Gwen carefully took hold of her machete.

It was a matter of seconds before she dashed around the corner and a splatter of blood hit the floor in front of where she'd previously been, leaving her partner in utter horror. Anxiously he chanced a peek round the divider and into the open.

His jaw dropped.

A child, no older than thirteen, lay at Gwen's feet. He was stained in his own blood with tears pooling in his dying eyes. The redhead watched as she drove her blade deeper into the boy's neck, eventually hacking off and decapitating the child.

Slowly she turned to meet his frightened stare, a pleased smirk playing on her lips. "What?"

"Y-Y-You fucking- you fucking killed him…-"

"Yeah, and you did nothing." She retorted, wiping her bloody hands on her equally bloody shirt. "Next time it's on you."

"H-He did nothing!" Edward exclaimed in bafflement.

Gwen raised a brow. "You don't know that." She laughed snarkily as she squatted down and began emptying the contents of the corpse's pockets onto the floor. "See. Smart kid." She gestured to the two Matchboxes and the three lighters, as well as a medium sized water bottle. She unscrewed the cap and dipped in her finger, tasting the clear liquid before humming in confirmation. "Very smart kid. Lit matches plus alcohol is not a desirable combo."

The boy gulped and and tugged at his shirt collar as his grip loosened around his weapon. "I-I can't do this… I need a gun. I need a f-fucking gun."

"You have killed someone before… right?"

He shook his head violently.

"Christ…" Gwen face-palmed and rolled her eyes. She straightened her posture at stretched her arms above her head, leaving her machete sticking out of the headless body's collar bone. "At least hit some people, okay?"

He glanced harshly down at the hammer. "I guess… depends what they're doing-"

"Don't pussy out." She muttered coldly. The two stood in silence for a moment or so, Edward still in shock for the previous violent scene. He flinched as he was sharply pulled forwards, stumbling over the corpse.

Gwen snorted, continuing onwards.


	4. M i s s i n g

**Sorry for the late update! I had school stuff going on and I had to put fanfiction on hold for a while. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Constructive criticism and general reviews are appreciated! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ah shit." David grimaced as he averted his stare away from the body. Max ignored him completely, nudging the hair lightly with his foot curiously.

"I think Gwen's been here…–"

"Yeah, I figured that." The redhead snapped back somewhat angrily. "I tought she agreed to only kill if someone was a threat… it's just a child …"

"It's a corpse."

Max ignored David's disappeoving glare as he stepped over the body mess and xontinued onwards, not looking back. Swallowing thickly, David muttered a small "I'm so sorry" to the headless boy, before cautiously catching up to the raven.

"So… Max…" He pursued his lips anxiously. "Do you want to talk about the self harming?"

"No." Max replied simply.

David narrowed his stare slightly. "Are you sure? It seems to be a reoccurring thing–"

"I said no, David." His grip tightened threateningly on his knife stick.

David noticed this, his eyes darting back and forth netwbet the boy's and darkened eyes and white knuckles. "Now, hey. Let's not do anything bad, Max. You don't want to hurt me."

"I'll do whatever I want to. I've done it before and I sure as hell can do it agai–"

 _"GET OFF ME! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!"_

Max let out a sharp gasp, eyes widening. "Edward…" He suddenly dashed forward, bracing his knifestick determinedly.

David closed his eyes and sighed irritedably. "For Christ's sake…" he then bolted into a sprint as he tried to keep up with the boy. "MAX! YOU CAN'T JUST RUN OFF LIKE THAT!"

The raven didn't reply.

* * *

"Get on your knees!" The man barked, his hands shaking violently as he pointed the gun back and forth between the two intruders. Gwen smartly obeyed, knowing that despite the obvious fact that this man was as high as a kite, he did have a gun, meaning that he had the upper hand. Edward stared down at her in horror as he flickered his wide eyes back up to face the man. He swallowed thickly. "I said get on your knees!"

"Ah! Okay, okay!" He carefully lowed himself onto the floor, huffing.

"Why the fuck are you here?!" He demanded.

Edward shot Gwen a desperate glance. "We're looking for a safe place to hide! L-Like you!"

The man growled under his breath. "Liar!" He now had the gun aimed a the girl's head. Gwen exhaled, closing her eyes.

"If you're gonna shoot me, then–"

"KEVIN!" A sharp scream caused all three of them to flinch as they looked down the isle. A young girl, most likely around Max's age, came sprinting right in front of him. Instantly he dropped the gun and crouched down to meet her at eye level.

She trembled as she embraced him in a desperate hug, ultimately breaking down in his arms.

Gwen and Edward exchanged confused glances. This had taken quite the turn.

"Wh-What's wrong?! Are you hurt?!"

The blonde shook her head as she smiled weakly. "N-No…! I-I found someone who-who has food!"

Kevin's eyes widened. "Tabii that's not safe–"

"He's nice! Please–"

"Gwen?! Eddie?!" David paused upon seeing Kevin and the familiar child he'd just encountered, slowly raising his hand in defence. "Listen, I can offer you some supplies–"

"Sit down, then." Kevin nodded at the captives. "You two as well. You're with him, right?"

"Yes! Yes we are!" Edward stated quickly, relief washing over him.

Gwen rolled her eyes and scooted up next to David, her friend smiling comfortingly. "Okay…" He began emptying his satchel. "I can give you some Pepsi… oh, and I've got a couple cans of soup. Do you guys know how to light a fire?"

"I've got some lighters."

David nodded and handed them said items. Tabii, still crying, began to chug her drink like there was no tomorrow, before lowering it in order to catch her breath.

The elder female watched her intently, specifically her face. Around her head was a bandage covering her left eye. The bandage was particularly bloodied and appeared to have been worn for quite some time.

"What happened to your eye?"

Tabii stared at her blankly.

"We, uh, we don't talk about that." Kevin answered, pursing his lips. "It wasn't too pleasant."

The brunette nodded. "Do you want a fresh bandage? We should have some…" Her hands rummaged inside the satchel before fishing out a roll of bandages, passing them too Kevin. "You can keep it."

The man offered her an appreciative smile, stuffing it into his hoodie pocket. "Cheers."

"No problem." She watched as his expression turned for gratitude to confusion, brows narrowing. Her gaze shifted to her left, as David began to frantically look around their surroundings, before getting to his feet and hoisting his satchel over his shoulder. "You alright, David?"

"Where's Max? He was in front of me and he isn't here…"

Edward's eyes widened considerably. "W-We can't loose him. I said I'll look after him–"

"We're gonna find him, okay?" Gwen dusted herself off and pulled the teen up with her. She turned to Kevin and Tabii. "Thanks for not shooting us. We've gotta go now."

"Before you go–" He reached into his back pocket and handed her a folded piece of paper. "It's pointless me having this. Use it, it'll help you guys out. Trust me."

* * *

"Max! Maaaaxxxx!" David yelled as they strolled back down the isle. Gwen held her machete tightly as she lead the way, with Edward trailing behind the two anxiously.

"He's probably dead." The teen stammered, his fingers twitching around his hammer pathetically.

"Don't say that." David growled. "He's small and fragile. He's most likely just gotten injured."

Gwen shot her friend a confused glance. "The kid carries around a spear and hasn't said a word to either of us. I wouldn't call that fragile."

Edward let his stare lower to the floor. "He does talk. He just doesn't trust you two yet. He only talks to people he feels safe with." A smug grin now spread across his face. "Meaning that he's scared of both of you. Not me."

"So he's fightened of us?" She looked back at David.

The redhead pursed his lips. "Y-Yeah. Hopefully he'll learn to trust us."

"Hm, I hope so. It's not helpful having a mute person tag along with you."

"B-But he makes up for it in fighting!" David exclaimed. "He's very, uh, very into pain."

"Kinky."

" _What?_ " The two adults paused to look at the younger.

"Can I not joke? Is that not allowed?"

Gwen narrowed her stare. "No, no you can joke… that one was just really gross, that's all."

"Yeah, don't say that. He's a child."

"I'm a child-"

"You're an idiot." The brunette interjected sternly. "C'mon. We need to find him."


	5. E m o t i o n s

**This chapter is kinda like a filler chapter but also has plot details that may contribute to future chapters? Basically it's kinda short :/ Also reviews are pretty low and I don't mean to sound hella desperate but I really enjoy reading reviews so any kind of comment is very much appreciated! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh my god… Max!" Edward shoved past the adults as skidded over to his friend, throwing his hammer to the side carelessly. He cupped the boy's face in his hands, fingers shaking worriedly as he tried to brush away some of the tears leaking from his eyes. "Hey, hey, hey! Stay away, Max, okay?!"

"Edward you need to move," Gwen crouched down next to him to get a closer look, lips pursing. Max was slumped up against the wall, eyes half lidded and glassy and face flushed. He didn't appear to have any injuries, just extremely exhausted and disoriented. "Ugh, c'mon Max…" She placed the back of her hand on his forehead, rolling her eyes. "He's just overheated. Right then–"

"W-Wait what? H-He needs help!"

"David," The brunette locked eyes with her much more concerned friend. "You got any water on you?"

"We've only got Pepsi. You know that we've only got Pepsi–!"

"Fine! Fine." She paused momentarily. "That Kevin guy gave me a map of something. It apparently can take us to a 'safe place'. I know it sounds dodgy but if anything bad happens we can handle it." David nodded in silent confirmation, clearly more focused on the half-conscious child on the ground.

"Eddie, can you carry him?"

Edward shuddered slightly, looking Max up and down. "Yeah, I think so." He leant downwards and held Max tightly against his chest, fishing one hand around his waist and the other under his legs, carefully standing to make sure he was comfortable. The raven groaned as he buried his face into the crook of the elder teen's neck, immediately causing Edward's face to heat up embarrassingly.

"You good?" David smiled softly.

"Yep. Good. I'm good. We're good. Let's go." He stammered.

The elder laughed at the boy's nervousness, clearly overwhelmed with having to be so close and personal with his friend. "Do you want me to take him?"

"No, no, no. It's fine."

"We should really get going." Gwen interjected, taking a final look at the map, before carelessly screwing it into a ball and shoving it in her back pocket. "I'd say we could get there in an hour? Maybe less?"

"It's that close?" David questioned, optimistic as always.

"Yep. It's well disguised, so without this we could've just gone straight past it. I'm guessing it won't be that great, but will probably have decent supplies. Ooooo! D'you think it'll have a shower? Maybe a clean bed?"

"I feel like that's the least of our worries." Edward spoke, earning a sharp glare from the brunette.

"Uh?! I would've thought you'd be more excited about hygiene?"

"Just because my family is… or was… wealthy, doesn't mean I'm going for the comfort aspect. Besides," He looked down at the now unconscious boy in his arms. "Max is kinda more important."

"Exactly." David chimed, before sending Gwen a disapproving glance. "Gosh, I thought you would be more considerate. No offense, Gwen, but you've really become quite insensitive towards the boys."

Gwen blinked for a moment, unsure how to respond. Her gaze shifted onto the shorter redhead, lingering slightly, before focusing back on the elder. "Why the fuck would you say that? Y-You really think _I'm_ the insensitive one?"

"Now's not the time to–"

"Now's not the time to what, David? To start spouting shit?!" Her fists clenched at her sides angrily as she refrained from pulling out her machete. "Fuck off. I'm not listening to you anymore." And with that she stormed away and towards the door, not looking back.

Edward stared up at the man in shock. "Listen, I didn't mean to–"

"No, it's alright. She'll calm down soon enough, this kind of stuff isn't new." He assured, watching as she swung open the door and began her descent to the ground floor. "She needs to wait for us, she knows that she can't just ditch us. Don't worry, okay? None of this is yours or Max's fault. You two are practically still kids - in my eyes anyways - so it's impossible for either of you to be blamed for any kind of mishap. If in doubt, blame me. I'll take responsibility. Whatever it takes to keep you both safe."

* * *

 **Please review!**


	6. S a f e

**Idk why I'm just pumping out new chapters but hey-ho. I got some really nice reviews on the last one so thank you for them! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _"Dammit… Gwen, cut that wire will you? Eddie won't be able to crawl through holding him and we can't just drag him… Gwen? Oh, come on, Gwen, really? At least pass me the knife– shit! I said pass not throw!"_

Max blinked slowly as he regained consciousness, his head aching slightly. He was unsure as to why he was floating, but it didn't take long for him to suddenly realise he was being cradled like a baby. Without thinking twice he pushed himself harshly out of his friend's arms and onto the dead grass at his feet, hissing at the rush of pain from the fall.

"Max what the hell is wrong with you?! You could've at least given me a warning!" Edward exclaimed, now crouched down next to the boy. Max glared at him angrily as he backed away instinctively. "You passed out like an hour ago, don't worry! You were overheated–"

"C'mon, Max!" David interjected cheerfully. "You woke up just in the nick of time! Only a short walk and we'll hopefully be in a safe environment!" He shuffled back through the gap in the barbed wire fence and over to the boys, not caring that Gwen had continued walking. His hand gently rubbed the raven's shoulder. "Your head probably still hurts? We haven't had time to check you properly yet, but we will, don't worry."

"We also couldn't find your spear, by the way." Edward added, watching as Max's eyes widened worriedly. "B-But! I'm sure we can help make another one! At some point!"

Max nodded quickly.

Shortly after all three males had made their way through the fence, much to David's delight as no one was scratched. Now all that was left was a few twists and turns between possibly abandoned houses.

"So how long does it usually take for Gwen to calm down?" Edward questioned.

The elder offered a short laugh. "That's funny, because it's never taken this long. She seems really upset. Maybe I should apologize–"

"She needs to deal with her own issues, David. She clearly doesn't like it when being confronted with the truth."

"You think so?"

"If I'm being honest, I think she's very jealous." The teen muttered lowly. "You've always split off from us with Max, and left her with me, which I don't think she enjoys. She usually complains a a lot."

David sighed in irritation. "It's just been the both of us for as long as I can remember. Maybe the extra responsibility of having new people is overwhelming her…"

"Uh, David." Edward tapped in his shoulder. "I think we're here. I mean, Gwen's stopped–"

He gestured to the female as she stepped onto the porch and knocked on it, her eyes taking note of the dusty, neglected mailbox.

"What do you want?"

Gwen flinched as the door was opened a jar and an eye looked her over suspiciously. "We were told that it's safe here–?" The door was about to close, but she moved her foot in the way, hissing at the pain. "Ugh, fuck. We have kids! We need food, a-and one them is–"

"Kids?" The door opened more as the man peered over her shoulder and examined the boys. "Get yourselves inside."

* * *

"Thanks." David smiled as he was handed a glass of water, still in absolute shook at how clean this house was. Sure, there were a few cobwebs here and there, but apart from that it was spotless. The older man sat in the armchair opposite the large couch, who they had been introduced to as Cameron, nodded in response.

"No problem." He assured. "Oh, and don't worry about dirtying anything, I can clean it later." His eyes then made their way over to Max, who was sat against the couch on the floor, quietly drinking from his sippy cup. "Sorry about the lack of glasses. I had to improvise."

David chuckled. "Oh no it's fine. We'll take whatever we can get!"

"Good, good." Cameron placed his glass down on his coaster on the coffee table as he stretched his arms above his head. "Right then. I'll go fix up something to eat while you all can go shower. There should be some clean clothes in the closets. As long as you stay out of my room then by all means make yourself comfortable!" And with that he left the living room, leaving the four of them alone.

"I like him." David stated cheerfully, placing his glass down on its coaster. "He seems very nice."

Edward hummed in agreement, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I hope he lets us stay awhile." His hand ruffled Max's hair comfortingly. "You _can_ sit on here, ya know? It's _very_ soft."

Max didn't answer.

"You can talk, Max. He's gone. We're your friends." David pushed, earning a kind smile from the fellow redhead.

Max only looked up at him with darkened eyes, somewhat unsure.

"I'm going up." Suddenly Gwen rose from the couch, chugging her water and forcefully placing it into the table.

"Hey, Gwen, wait–"

She glared daggers at Max. "I can't deal with him, David! How do you expect me to befriend some random child who doesn't even speak?! If I could've I would've left him back at that place. He couldn't even deal with being overheated! He's the most expendable, David! You know that!"

"Gwen–"

"No! Shut your mouth. I'm getting in the shower. Don't bother me."

David leapt up for the couch and desperately followed after her upstairs. "Hey, hey, hey! Gwen, we need to talk–"

The two boys watched as they disappeared upstairs, their bickering growing quiet.

Edward ruffled Max's hair once more before sliding off the couch and offering his friend a hand. "Might as well go up. Don't worry, Max. I'll make sure they don't interrupt us with their yelling."

Max took hold of his hand and was pulled to his feet, not letting go as the two of them ventured up the stairs.


	7. S u b l i m i n a l

David inhaled shakily as he turned on the shower, feeling tears prick in the corners ofohis eyes; it had been so long since he'd felt clean, warm, running water.

It was a weird feeling.

"What are you doing?"

The redhead turned around to face Max in surprise, glad that he had hadn't started undressing yet. "I haven't used sanitary, decent water in so long, Max. I'm just enjoying it."

"That's fair…" He mused. "We, uh… We're not gonna stay here long, are we…?" He chewed his lip uncomfortably.

David narrowed his brows in confusion. "What do you mean? Why would you want to go? It's clean, it's warm, and we've got food!"

"Y-Yeah, but still. He might not like us."

The elder pursed his lips into an assuring smile as he ruffled the boy's hair. "I'm sure he likes us, Max. That's nothing to worry about. Now, you need to go and find a spare bathroom to use–"

"Edward's gone looking for one."

"Well there you go, then! I'm going to get in now, so if I were you I'd try and find Eddie, okay?" He smiled brightly.

Max nodded. "Yeah… sure."

* * *

Edward patted himself down one final time before reaching for his watch and clasping it around his wrist. He managed to find an almost identical outfit to his own, which he gladly put on. Seemed to be a pretty good fit as well. He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment or two, checking himself over, before perching himself on the edge of the queen-sized bad comfortably.

It was quiet.

He could hear a bit of movement and cluttering from the kitchen downstairs, but that was to be expected. Gwen and David had separated into different rooms for obvious reasons, and Max yet to come find him.

"Max? Ugh, about time!" He watched as the younger ignored him and headed straight into the bathroom, new clothes in hand, locking the door soon after.

Max had never ignored him before.

Had David said something? Why was he suddenly sour?

It was strange.

Deciding not to bother his friend, he made his way out the bedroom and down the hall in search of either Gwen or David. Preferably David, but he didn't want to look like a loner so he would be happy with Gwen if it came down to that.

"Knock knock–" He knocked his knuckles against the next bedroom along the hall.

" _Occupied_!"

"God dammit." Why did David have to be so concerned about his privacy? It wasn't helpful at all. "Ugh… _here I come, Gwen…_ " He muttered, trudging to the nearest room with a locked door.

His hand tapped more gently this time, and almost instantly got a reply.

" _David? Listen, I know we're not on speaking terms, but could you come here? The doors unlocked!_ "

Edward sucked in a deep breath as he pushed open the door, wincing as he expected to get smacked.

But he wasn't.

The brunette had back to him, blissfully unaware as lowered her head in order to tie her hair into a high ponytail. She was sporting a fresh pair of shorts and thigh high stockings, most likely for additional protection to her legs, and there was an oversized, green button up shirt folded neatly on the edge of the bed.

The redhead was very aware that his face had heated up, the fact that he was witnessing a topless female in only her bra, taking him off guard immensely. He locked his lips and let out a shuddered breath.

" _Wow…_ "

Gwen offered a short laugh, finishing typing up her hair and stretching her freshly shaved arms above her head. "Very funny, D–" She stared at the teen with wide eyes, arms instantly folding over her chest. "W-What are you doing?"

"I didn't want to be lonely, so I was looking for people–"

"Max." She quickly grabbed her shirt and slipped her arms into the sleeves. "You can see Max."

"He's in… the shower." His eyes followed her fingers as they hurriedly buttoned up the shirt, not even trying to avert his state.

Gwen exhaled nervously. "Stop staring at me, Edward. I can break you. You _know_ that."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Gwen." He took a step forwards, causing the elder to take a step back. " _Listen_ , I'm a teenage boy, I can't really help it–"

"You shut your trap. You're fucking piece of shit, _Edward_. Go and baby Max or something, I don't wanna see you." She snapped her fingers in the direction of the door. "Beat it, fucktard."

He nodded simply and turned to leave, before pausing. "David is right, you know. You really aren't very kind."

* * *

"How are you doing in there, Max?" David pushed his ear up against the door, hand bracing the door handle.

The boy didn't reply.

His grip tightened around the handle as he carefully opened the door. "Max?" His concerned stare softened upon flickering over him, tutting teasingly. "Do need some help cleaning yourself?" The redhead grabbed a small towel off the edge of the bath tub. "You can go an wait on the bed, okay? It's too stuffy in here." Max stared at the man and licked his lips nervously. David raised a brow, slightly weirded out. "Well go on then!" He grinned, give the child a light push out the bathroom.

He laughed to himself as he damped the towel.

It wasn't long before he turned off the water and rung out the towel so it wasn't too wet, and made his way out and over to the bed. The redhead perched himself on the edge of the bed, patting the duvet to beckon the raven over. Max shook his head. "We-We can do it here…"

David took note of how he was now shaking…maybe he was cold? "Sure." He scooted closer to the headboard and more into the centre of the bed, making sure both he and the boy were comfortable. "We'll do your arms last because they're a bit beaten up aren't they?" He laughed half-heartedly, hoping to earn some kind reaction from him. "Okay then… C'mon! Gimme a leg."

He then began gently rubbing the cloth over his legs, happy to see that there was little to no wounds to be found. Max remained silent, nothing new, but did flinch as the cloth made its way past his knees and onto his thighs. "You okay? Did I hurt you?"

"Y-Yeah… can you stop…"

The elder nodded, growing worried. "Y-Yeah, sure. Your new clothes are in the bathroom if you want to get them."

"Okay." Max closed his eyes with somewhat relief as he began to crawl off the large bed, still shaking.

"Hang on." He felt David place a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'll get them, you can dry off a bit."

The boy nodded obediently and waited patiently for his clothes, calming down slightly. "Gosh, Max, you're still shaken up from earlier? I guess using warm water may have been a poor decision… I'll keep that in mind for next time." David assured cheerfully, carefully helping the boy into a comfortable pair of shorts and a loose black t-shirt. "Smart choice with chosing shorts. Don't wanna get overheated again do we?"

"Yeah, I guess so…–"

"Knock knock~" Edward poked his head round the door. "Uh, Cameron said food's ready. Gwen's already down there helping, so I reckon we should go too. It smells great, though!"

* * *

 **Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!**


	8. W a r n i n g

"Me? Well, it's not very interesting, if I'm honest." Cameron chuckled, placing his cutlery neatly on his now empty plate. "Before all of this shit went down, I lived quite nicely. Great friends, good amount of wealth… nothing more I can add, really."

"So, like, did you have a job, or?" Gwen questioned, looking at the man suspiciously.

"I had my own project, business thing. I'm not really sure what the proper term would be, but nonetheless my clients were not disappointed. I worked from home – this home, actually – so it was very efficient. Sometimes I'd go mobile, though most of the time was spent here."

Intrigued, David pressed for more. "That's amazing!" He praised. "What did you do for your business?"

The elder offered a short laugh as he pursed his lips together, eyes scanning over the dinning table sharply. "I'll get back by to you on that, Davey. C'mon, hand me your plates and I'll go clean these up!" He quickly collected the plates from the four and disappeared into the kitchen out of sight and ear shot.

The redhead grinned widely, turning to the brunette. "He called me Davey. We're practically best friends!"

Gwen shook her head bluntly, staring at the man opposite her. "He's sketchy as fuck, David. Surely you're not buying any or this?"

"He's not that bad. Trust me on this one." He turned to his left to face Max, smiling hopefully. "You agree, don't you, Max?"

The boy remained silent and avoided his gaze as he simply continued to stare down at the table.

"You really expected to get any kind of answer from him?" Gwen interjected. "He's only talking to Edward. Don't waste your breath."

"Noted. Again…" David muttered. He couldn't tell Gwen that Max was speaking to him, it would just make her issues worse. "Anyways… Who else can't wait to sleep on something that isn't the floor?!"

"It's going to feel so nice~" Edward murmured.

"Enjoy it while it lasts." Gwen stated bluntly. "We'll be out of here early in the morning–"

"Ugh, really?"

"Yes, really. As nice as this place is, Cameron is a shady fucker." She turned her attention to the raven. "I get that you're mute and all that, but you're pretty violent. I'm giving you permission to fuck him up if it comes down to that."

"Gwen, that's stupid." David placed a hand firmly on the boy's shoulder. "It won't go that far, because Cameron is a nice guy. He genuinely wants to help us! Didn't you see how he looked when we said we had kids with us? He let us in instantly!"

"Now that just sounds really dodgy." Edward muttered, grimacing.

Gwen ignored him as she kept talking. "I know, David. All I'm saying is that _if_ he becomes dangerous, then we can kill him–"

"That escalated quickly!" The four suddenly snapped there heads to watch the elder return to the table, chuckling to himself. "Don't worry, okay? If I was planning to hurt you all, why would I have let you use my limited supplies? It makes no sense!"

David grinned smugly at the brunette. "Told you."

"Well that's good to hear–!"

"But we will kill you if it comes down to it." She interrupted coldly. David shot her a disapproving glare. "Fine. _I_ will kill you if it comes down to it."

Cameron smiled wearily. "Good to know!" He gave her a thumbs up before glancing at his watch. "Oh, wow, would you look at the time! If you guys are planning on leaving early, I'd suggest hitting the hay–!"

"That's just what I was thinking!" The redhead chimed enthusiastically. "It'll ensure we're recharged fully for tomorrow!"

"Tell me about it. I'm exhausted after today!" Edward agreed. "I witnessed her behead some random child–!"

" _She did what now?_ " Cameron's eyes widened significantly.

"There was some kid trying to set us on fire so I hacked off their head." Gwen shot him a sinister glance. "Why? _You worried?_ "

The man offered a hasty laugh, tugging at his collar nervously. "N-No. I just didn't think you were capable of something so… violent."

"Take it as a warning." She smiled sadistically, cocking her head teasingly. "Guess we're off to bed then."


	9. L i e s

"Ugh… what…" David groaned as he switched on the lamp on his bedside table, squinting at the sudden brightness. He stared at his watch for a moment as his eyes adjusted. "Jesus…"

02:05

Slowly he sat up in bed and yawned into his palm, tiredly meeting the intruders gaze. Edward stared at it him guiltily as he poked his head round the door, making his way in and closing the door behind him quietly. "I don't want to disturb you, David…" He whispered. "But I can hear footsteps moving about…"

The elder narrowed his brows, beckoning the boy closer. "It's probably Gwen scouting out the place… you know she's sceptical."

"I guess, so…" He pursed pursed his lips into an awkward smile. "She kept going on about how shady Cameron is… reckon I'm just paranoid…"

David shook his head. "Don't say that. It's always good to be weary. Gwen just likes to over do it."

"Should I check her room… just in case…?"

"No, it's okay. She can handle herself." He paused. "How's Max doing…? Is he asleep?"

The redhead laughed softly. "Yeah, he's a heavy sleeper."

"That's assuring. You should go back to bed now… but thanks for expressing your concern–"

 _"David…!"_

The two flinched as a familiar figure quietly dashed into the room and over to them. "David, it's bad, it's really fucking bad…–!"

"Woah, hey, calm down…!" He hissed, eyes flooding with worry. "Gwen you need to slow down…!"

If her irregular breathing wasn't a good enough sign of trouble, then David wasn't sure what was. She was clearly shaken up by something. "I-I need to… I need to show you something…!"

"You what…? Wait… what's wrong…?" Edward was now growing panicked. "Wh-Where is it…?"

"I-Its downstairs." She swallowed thickly, seeming to pull herself together slightly. "I-Its downstairs and I know I wasn't meant to see it but now I have and we-we need to get rid of it–"

"Wh-What about Max–?"

"He's asleep?" Gwen stared at the teen with wide eyes. He nodded sharply. "The less people the less noise… w-we can wake him up as-as soon as everything else is sorted, okay…?"

"B-But why can't we leave now? Why do we–"

"It's too dark, Eddie." David's voice was stern. "It's dangerous outside–"

"It's dangerous inside, too, apparently–!"

"It's safer inside…!" He hissed.

After the three had somehow miraculously made their way downstairs without any dangerous mishaps, Gwen swiftly lead them to the library area, feeling around for lamps to turn on. Soon enough a decent amount of light had lit up the room as the boys stood patiently and watched her look around for a moment or so.

"How bad is this thing…?" Edward gulped

"I, uh, it takes a lot to scar me, okay…?" Her voice was lowered and frantic. It was a first to say the least. "Go… Go up and get Max. Just yell if you, if you need help–"

"No. I-I wanna stay down here, w-with you guys." He looked around cautiously. "There's weapons in the bedroom already. If anything happens he'll be okay."

"You sure?" David cast a glance up the stairs and .Into the darkness, grimacing slightly.

The boy nodded firmly. "Yeah. He's fine–"

"Got it…!" Gwen exclaimed under her breath as she crouched down and picked something up, before shuffling over to them hurriedly. "There's a laundry shoot that goes straight down to the lab–"

"Woah, woah, woah; calm down. Why do we need to go to a lab–?"

"Yes." Suddenly the lights flashed on. "Why _do_ you need to go to the lab?" Cameron stared at them from the top of the stairs, folding his arms over his chest.

David gulped. "Gwen brought us down here. Sorry if we woke you–"

The man shifted his gaze onto the brunette. "Is there an issue?"

"You _know_ there is." She spat. "You're shady."

"What a convincing argument." He laughed to himself. "Listen, if you wanted to leave, you could've just said so. There's no point making up lies just to get your friends to go with you. Why would you need to get to the lab, anyways? It's been abandoned for months."

Edward looked up at Gwen. "You… You _lied?_ "

"W-Well, a white lie never hurts–" Her composure was breaking. "It doesn't _matter_ –"

"You're really shallow." He muttered as he shoved past her and towards the stairs. "G'night, I guess."

"Wait, Edward–! You don't understand! I had to–!"

"Just leave it, Gwen." David placed a hand in her shoulder. "We're leaving tomorrow, okay. All we wanted was a good night's sleep, and unfortunately that wasn't the case." He looked at Cameron sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Davey. You two should get to bed."

* * *

Edward sighed as he quietly closed the bedroom door behind him, making sure not to wake his sleeping friend. He could barely make out Max's figure asleep on the floor beside the bed.

"Huh." Max had always slept on anything but a bed when he was sharing one bed rooms. Talk about selfless. Nonetheless, the redhead stepped over him and into bed, wincing when the bed creaked slightly. "Good night… again." He mumbled.

God, did Gwen tire him out.

All he wanted was a decent night's sleep.

 _What a bitch. David should've ditched her._ He thought to himself. _She probably feels oppressed because she's the only girl… she can't handle being confronted. She just lies–_ "What do you think you're doing…?" Edward sat up as he looked the younger teen up and down suspiciously.

Max squinted at him through the darkness, hand hovering over the door handle. He didn't say anything.

"Max–"

"I'm thirsty…" He made sure to lower his voice.

Edward narrowed his brows in confusion for a moment, before offering an assuring smile. "Don't make too much noise."

"W-What…?"

"When you're getting your drink from downstairs." He repeated. "Don't wake people up."

The raven swallowed thickly. "Oh." He seemed hesitant. "I'm gonna go now…" And with that he quietly left the room and closed the door respectfully.

What a night.


	10. C o n f u s i o n

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm not even joking." Edward pointed at his friend with his fork. "He slept like a damn log. I thought I was a heavy sleeper, he takes the cake."

Max stared at him blankly before raising his sippy cup to his lips, ultimately ignoring him as he drank.

David grinned at him happily. "Well it's good to hear that you got a good night's sleep. I'm sure you feel great!"

The raven nodded distantly.

"It's just gonna be really depressing having to go without all this." Edward muttered, shooting a glare at Gwen.

"I'm more than happy for you four to stick around for as long as you wish, by the way." Cameron interjected. "It's nice to have company."

Gwen didn't even look at the man as she spoke, poking at the lasts of her pancake lazily. "I feel like you're being sarcastic."

"Take it how you want, Grace–"

"Gwen."

"–but if you feel as though squatting is more safe than having an actual home, then go ahead and leave. It just sounds very half-assed if you ask me." He glanced at David. "You understand, right?"

"Of course!" He laughed hastily. "B-But we'll annoy you–"

"Like I said, company is always nice." His lips pursed. "It gets lonely listenng to CDs on your own–"

"You have CDs?!" Edward suddenly perked up with bright eyes. "As in music?!"

The elder narrowed his brows in confusion. "Yes? Why?"

The redhead smirked. "Is it any good?"

"Well, I mean, I think it's pretty good? Does that help–?"

"We're not putting music on." Gwen stated bluntly. "We don't wanna attract people."

Cameron nodded quickly. "Yes, she's right, sorry Eddie." He hesitated for a moment. "I do have other things that can be fun, though."

"Like what?"

* * *

"Woah."

It was the motherload.

A cellar full of random crap… but a fuck tonne of booze.

"So… how much–"

"As much as you want." Cameron spoke casually. "It not like I can drink all this on my own."

Eagerly, the redhead took hold of Max's hand and dragged him further into the cellar, quickly handing him bottles from the 'expensive' rack.

"How old are them two again?" Gwen muttered.

"Definitely not legal." David replied blankly, solely focused on watching the boys try to grab as many bottles as possible.

"Aw, come on, Davey! Let them have some fun–"

"Take some!" Edward suddenly handed the adults a bottle each. "Oh, we're gonna get so _fucking_ wasted!"

David laughed hastily. "Haha, well that's–" He cut himself off as the younger teen suddenly popped off the cap and pressed the bottle to his lips, taking a few big gulps and wiping his mouth harshly with his arm. Edward stared at his friend in uncertainty before he grinned wildly.

"Fucking hell!" He laughed. "Hell yes, Max!"

The three adults stared at the raven in shock.

Now _that_ was unexpected.

"I love it but hate it so, so much." Gwen uttered, Max staring at them with his usual deadpan expression, as he took another drink.

Cameron, despite his confusion, spoke up. "Let him do what he wants… it's his choice to suffer the consequences."

"He might hurt himself." David muttered and snatched the bottle off him. "He's quite young– oh for fucks sake."

Edward looked at him teasingly as he handed Max a new bottle, smirking. "Can't win this fight, my friend." David grunted as he walked away, Gwen following in suit as they went to get more bottles.

"D'you reckon he's a happy drunk?" Gwen thought out loud, finding the situation more and more amusing. "Oh! Or a sad drunk?" She waved Edward over. "Show us what shit you grabbed."

"Yes, ma'am." And with that he trotted over.

" _Gay_ drunk?" Cameron piped up curiously, shrugging as the raven choked mid-drink, the wine trickling out the corner of his mouth and down his chin messily. He raised an eyebrow suggestively at him, lowering his voice. "What? You never know."

" _Gay drunk?_ Ha, I don't think so–"

"Probably for you." He spoke louder so the redheaded teen could hear.

Edward furrowed his brows in disgust as he stammered over his words. "That's–"

"Take a joke, Eddie." He snorted, using his finger to tip Max's head upwards to lock eyes. "You've got a little something on your face." Max's cheeks darkened at the realisation and instinctively stuck out his wet tongue and tried to lick it off. He grunted as Cameron suddenly retracted his finger, running a hand through his hair. Why was he all sweaty? Quickly he turned his attention to the other three, calling out. "C'mon then! I'll, uh," He chanced a glance down at the boy. He was just staring up at him with wet, parted lips like before. "…I'll help carry them up!"


	11. I n t o x i c a t e d

Max was a confusing drunk.

He was a lot more chipper and playful than normally, but still somehow managed to keep his mouth shut.

It was quite interesting, to say the least. David took another drink of his wine, shortly followed by a sip of water from a second glass. He didn't really care what Gwen did – although it was preferred if she monitored how much she was drinking – but he decided that alternating between alcohol and water would be a useful plan; he wouldn't be the one suffering from a hangover or something.

Edward and Max were sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, most likely having a competition to see who could get the most drunk before passing out. Cameron was back in his armchair, so the remaining two adults made themselves comfortable on the couch.

According to his watch, David was quite shocked to see what the time was. It was coming up for 6pm. Oh well. That would be a great excuse to stay a second night!

"D'you wanna place bets?" It wasn't a suggestion, more like a rhetorical question, as she wasted no time fishing a handful of coins out her back pocket and placing it down on the table. Upon seeing the redhead's confused expression she jabbed her head in the teens' direction. "Edward's gonna win. Hands down."

David still looked at her in uncertainty, eyes flicking back and forth between her and the pile of coins. "Where did you get that money from?"

She cast a side glance at Cameron, the man too invested in the competition to notice. "In a drawer. I would've taken more but I thought I'd stay humble."

"So… you stole from him?"

"David currency has no meaning anymore. When was the last time you bought something?"

He went to speak but decided against it. "I see your point."

The brunette grinned. "Exactly! It's just a bit of fun, David." She then roughly split the pile in two and pushed forwards one of the halves. "Here's some money for you. Now, place your bet."

"Well, I mean, you went with Eddie. I guess I'm gonna have to go with Max."

"Your loss." She snickered. "That kid's been drinking since we found the damn stuff. I'm honestly surprised he's even conscious."

David knew that comment was a joke, but he couldn't help but grow worried. Gwen was right – Max had practically been drinking whenever he looked at him, not all the time, but the majority, although he was starting to slow down a bit. Subconsciously his eyes made their way to the floor, scanning over the surrounding area blankly. Bottles and glasses were scattered around the two boys like confetti, some of the red wines leaking onto the carpet. They were just average drinking glasses, as that was all that Cameron had, meaning that the booze also had to be drank out of them.

He was surprised no one had smashed one yet.

"You should be dead." Edward was oddly sober for someone who had been excited to get "fucking wasted". _He's probably thought about the aftermaths of how it could end._ David thought. _It's better to have one drunk kid than two, I guess._

The corner of Max's mouth quirked up into a half-assed smirk, green eyes darkened in a drunken haze. His cheeks were naturally flushed and hands shaking slightly. David guessed that this was the kid's first time getting 'fucking wasted' so he didn't think too much of it, but still chose to keep a close eye on him.

"You're an idiot." The redhead punched his friend in the shoulder playfully. "I'm still gonna win, though." He handed Max one of the many discarded, yet still kinda full bottles around them as a smirk graced his lips. "You _will_ kill yourself."

Max ignored him and grabbed the bottle with both of his small hands, pressing it to his lips and tipping his head back as he finished off the lasts of how much wine was left in.

"I'm having regrets." David glance down at the betting money on the coffee table, then back to the raven.

Gwen let out a short laugh. "I'm sure Max will, as well. Last time I drank that hard… I think it was at my cousin's wedding? Oh wait, maybe not. Oh! It was my friend's, uhhhhh… 22nd birthday? Yeah, yeah it was." She laughed, most likely rembering a memory. "That hangover sucked ass. He's gonna be a bitch to take care of tomorrow."

"So we're staying the night?"

She rolled her eyes. "We don't really have a choice. Plus, Cameron does have a nice place. Maybe tonight I'll let you and Edward get that good night's sleep."

David was taken aback by how genuine she sounded. Even if she was joking, he greatly appreciated the comment nonetheless. "Cheers."

"No prob– Uh, you okay, Max?"

Max turned to look at her with wide, yet tired eyes. He shook his head, carefully getting onto all fours and pushing himself onto his feet, grasping Edward's shoulder for support.

"I think he needs to sleep." He winced at the pressure going into his shoulder, smiling though the pain. "He's probably gonna–ugh–pass out any minute."

"I'll take him up." David stretched as he stood up from the couch, pursuing his lips into a neutral smile as he nodded at Cameron. "I'll be down in a bit."

"Of course. Tell me if you have any issues, okay?" He gestured to Max's overheated, exhausted expression, accompanied an out-of-breath, poor attempt at a smirk. The man swallowed thickly. "Good, uh, Good Night, kid."

And with that David carefully and slowly dragged Max up the stairs and to the bedroom he'd been in the previous night, stiffling a laugh as he practically collapsed on the bed, not daring to get under the blanket as he would get even more hot. "I'm gonna get you some water."

Max used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I'm not thirsty~" He whined.

"Yes, but you're also quite drunk."

"Ha… Okay, Davey~"

* * *

 **Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you!**


	12. S l e e p l e s s

"Ew no. He's gonna be all sticky and hot." Edward hissed stubbornly. "I get that he's passed out an' all, but I'm not getting in bed with him. It'll get too stuffy."

David huffed as he placed his hands on his hips, contemplating. "W-Well what did you do last night, then?"

"Max wasn't a drunken mess last night."

"Yeah, _okay_ , but–"

"Take the room next door." Cameron injerjected as he strolled up to them, eyes flickering to the door they were stood outside of. "The kid's in there, right?"

"Annoyingly." Edward muttered bitterly.

"Noted." He offered a hasty laugh. "Like I said, Eddie. Just take the room next door. It's only one night. You'll get a better night's sleep if you're on your own, anyways."

The teen shrugged. "Fair enough." He pursed his lips into aasmile and backed up the short distance to the next bedroom, hand braced against the door. "Welp. G'night, then." And with that he disappeared inside, leaving David and Cameron still loitering outside Max's room.

The younger of the two beamed brightly. "I'd say tonight was very successful!"

"Damn right it was. I haven't see a kid that drunk since… well, in a while." He muttered the last part, earnig a hasty, slightly confused look from David.

"You, uh, you've done this before…?"

Cameron placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, chuckling to himself. "At some point people find the booze. Kids'll do anything to get their hands on something so treasured. They can't break the law when theirs effectively no law at all." He shrugged. "Little Max saw the opportunity and grabbed it by the balls, Davey."

"It was definitely a first." David laughed softly, his eyes flicking over the bedroom door momentarily. "I do feel bad for him, though… I gave him some water but that won't change much."

"Let's just hope we don't get ambushed while we sleep, eh?" Despite the man's joke being slightly morbid, David offered a huff of laughter nonetheless. "If we're being honest, Davey, I'd like you to know that i'm very fond of the kid. He's very intriguing with how he doesn't speak. It's refreshing to see such a unique personality."

The redhead swallowed, his cheeks flushing, even though he wasn't the one recieving the compliment. Maybe it was because all the verbal abuse Max had gotten from Gwen. He didn't know, but it made his heart grow anyways. "That's really sweet. I'll be sure to tell him in the morning." He smiled. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it very much!"

Cameron nodded firmly. "I hope so! That boy deserves a hole bunch of attention. I don't get why _they_ dislike him so much."

 _"They"_ was clearly a jab at Gwen, David guessed. "She seems to have relaxed thanks to the alcohol. Maybe she'll rethink her words."

"She better." It was hard to tell whether his tone was sincerely bitter, or just an exaggeration. "I don't know what kind of person could be so harsh to such an innocent child." He licked his lips somewhat hastily. "… _Is_ he innocent?"

David's stare narrowed in confusion at the question, unsure why the man was acting slightly… off. "I, uh, I don't get what you mean? I don't _think_ he's killed anyone… Ha, well he's definitely lost his Alcohol Virginity if that's what your getting at." He laughed softly. "Again, I don't really understa–"

"Doesn't matter. Just a stupid question, that's all." Cameron smiled forcibly, eye twitching slightly. "Best be off to bed then, Davey! Cameron's gotta get his beauty sleep!" David watched as the man swiftly disappeared into a room further down the corridor, a soft click – presumably the lock – being heard.

"That was weird…"

* * *

Gwen stared up at the ceiling with a deadpan expression, mentally scolding herself for failing to sleep.

Maybe she should've monitored her drinking a bit better.

 _At least I didn't break anything…_ She reasoned with herself. _The guy had so many glasses out to be fair… it was mental…_

She suddenly felt herself jolt, heart skipping a beat.

"Fucking hell…" She groaned, running a hand down her face. The one time she was about to dose off and her body fucks her over. Huffing, she fidgets slightly to get comfortable and closes her eyes.

 _Sleep. C'mon, Gwen, sleep._

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

"Shit." She hissed under her breath and threw her legs out of bed, standing up and making her way to the door. It was pointless tying to sleep when she was aware that it would never happen.

Just like the night before, but this time without the two redheads, Gwen wondered the ground floor of the house, feeling for lamp switches in the darkness. She made sure to not turn on as many as last time so she wouldn't risk getting caught again.

Honestly, she didn't know what to do with herself. For a while she just stood at the bottom of the spiral stairs, silent and annoyingly curious. She was aware of how stupid she probably looked, but as long as no one got up to get a drink, she was okay.

Speaking of drink-

Gwen took a quiet stroll to the kitchen, swinging open the higher cabinets as she fetched a glass. There were lots of average, basic drinking glasses filling said cabinet, with Max's little pink sippy cup sticking out like a sore thumb. All these glasses and Cameron still gave him the child's cup? He even apologized for the " _lack of glasses_ ".

Oh no.

Her head began flooding with conspiracies.

 _He's kinda old… probably just picked up the first thing he saw…_

Deciding not to get worked up over a stupid cup she quickly poured herself some water and gladly took a sip.

She hated it here. But at the time she didn't want to leave.

Her gut instinct was to pay Cameron no mind and only use him purely for his supplies. To be selfish. The problem was that the others had taken a quick liking to him. David, ultimately idolising the man and his confidence; Edward was very similar to him in that of quick comments and a slightly reckless nature, both male's showing little concern for Max chugging a bottle of wine within seconds. She wasn't really sure what Max thought of him, to be true.

 _The little fucker hasn't said a word to him, and yet he listens to him like he's God._

Reluctantly Gwen had concluded that she was jealous.

She didn't know why, but the fact that Cameron already sent her sketchy vibes made her worried for the young boy.

She wouldn't tell anyone that, though.

She had a rep to protect… even if that rep was being a bitch to everyone.

* * *

 **Please review! :)**


	13. M o u t h f u l

**WARNING: This chapter gets very dark very quickly. There is adult description toward the end, however I've tried to keep it as censored as possible. If mild graphic description triggers you then I advise you not to read, but it is a major plot detail, so that's your choice. No one flame me in the reviews because I've given you a warning.**

 **Enjoy… I hope.**

* * *

He knew he shouldn't really be doing it, but he couldn't help himself.

It was a weird feeling, similar to how he'd felt during his shower the day before, but slightly more frantic. He knew this was an extreme rarity that he wanted to savour for as long as he could, no matter how much his hands ached.

Max was perched on the toilet seat with his legs crossed, back against the tank as he watched him curiously. He didn't really understand why David was washing his hands repeatedly, but he chose not to question it, focusing his attention on trying to actually get some of his drink to come out of his sippy cup.

David finally stopped upon hearing the bedroom door open and close, quickly followed by footsteps and a third person entering the attached bathroom. Gwen stared at the back of her friend's head with a neutral expression, leaning against the doorframe comfortably. "Morning."

The redhead seemed to relax slightly after hearing the familiar voice. "Good morning." He began scrubbing again, but more slowly and less eratic. "How did you sleep?"

Gwen hesitated a moment before speaking, brows furrowed as she thought back to last night. "Pretty well, I guess? I did have to get up and walk around for a bit, though." Her lips pursed into a grimace. "It was better than the first night. You?"

"Not bad. I fell asleep quite nicely because of the lack of alcohol in my body." He peered over his shoulder to shoot the female a cheeky glance, taking one of his hands out from under the water and ruffling Max's now-slightly-damp hair. "You should've seen hin earlier." He laughed softly as the teen's face burned in embarrassment, swatting away his hand as it retreated back under the warm water. "Pretty much collapsed in my arms asking for painkillers."

She swallowed down the lump threatening to form in her throat. Max had spoken to David…? It was pointless letting it get to her. She had to distract herself.

Gwen flicked her eyes down to stare intently at the boy. His eyes did look slightly more dark, although the hot flush staining his cheeks made it hard to notice. "Hey, uh, David…" She trailed off, slowly looking back up. David had turned off the water and pivoted to face her, yet the bar of soap was still held firmly in both his hands. "Why… What are you doing? Your hands look all red."

David narrowed his brows in confusion as he chanced a quick glance downwards. "I just want to be clean, that's all." He huffed as he was sent a disapproving eye roll. "I want to savour this, Gwen." He hissed, almost whispering. "This is probably the last damn time I'll be able to do this."

Her eyes darted about slightly, as if she were trying to read the man's face. "You could just take it, you know…?" Her voice was hasty, clearly taken aback. "Cameron's got a bathroom for every bedroom… I'm pretty sure he wouldn't care if one bar of soap went missing."

David stared at her, paused, and then nodded firmly. "God damnit." He muttered angrily to himself, despite the a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He tried to force down his smirking as he shoved the bar of soap into one of the pockets of his cargo shorts, glaring at Gwen. "Why do I even listen to you?"

"Because you love me and know that I'm always right." Her response was flat, as if stating the obvious. "You were gonna scrub away all your skin at the rate you were going at."

David nodded somewhat guiltily, reaching over to dry his hands on a towel. Gwen was right; his hands did hurt – not painfully, but they were a little sore. "Where's Eddie at, then?"

Gwen seemed to perk up at the conversation change. "Downstairs with Cameron. They were chatting when I went to put my glass back in the sink for washing up. They seemed pretty deep into the talk so I came here."

"And how did they sleep?"

"Like I said; I don't know." She shrugged. "I'm guessing pretty well. They didn't look overly exhausted."

"That's good to hear–" He cut himself off, smiling in amusement. Max was sucking somewhat desperately on the sippy cup, hands moving from the stupid handles to hold it tightly in his palms, squeezing it. "Max, face it. You drank all your–"

Suddenly the boy's eyes snapped open and wide as he spluttered at the force of the liquid shooting into his mouth and hitting the back of his throat in one go, catching him off guard. David stiffled a laugh and smacked his hand over his mouth. This was too funny.

Gwen wasn't laughing, though, eyes glued on Max as he kept his head low and heaved, trying to catch his breath. He watched her chest rise and fall, shuddering. What was wrong?

Subconsciously his eyes found their way onto the floor and over to the sippy cup, having been dropped at the shock. It seemed harmless. But then he saw it. Dripping out the cup lazily. His smile fell instantly.

 _Oh fuck no._

No wonder it wasn't coming out easily. It was too thick.

Quickly he snapped his focus back to Max, the boy gagging as he stuck his fingers into his mouth and fished out a glob of the disgusting substance. The raven eyed it with watery eyes and wiped it down his shirt, his tongue falling out of his mouth as more spilled out and onto his lap, using his hands to try to scrape the slime off of his taste buds.

David was frozen in place, the only sound being he blood thumping in his ears. He could see the glossiness in Max's eyes, both the shock and taste leaving him stunned. David felt a pit in his stomach as he watched Max swallow down whatever was left in his mouth, grimacing at the odd texture as it went down his throat.

Gwen was violently shaking. He could feel her hand graze over his occasionally and twitch. Max just stared at them, a dribble of… _stuff_ … slowly making its way out the corner of his mouth and to his chin, his soft pants for air being the only sound to fill the silence.

* * *

 **Please review! I wanna hear your thoughts on this…uh…event.**


	14. G u i l t y

**As you can see from the previous chapter, this story is definitely going to take a very dark turn. I'm warning you guys in advance :/ Reviews are immensely helpful when writing these kind of fics, because feedback helps me to know different people's opinions on the events that occur. They are also greatly appreciated, so if you could drop a review I'd be very happy! Thanks x :)**

* * *

"I trusted him…" His words came out as s whisper. "I trusted him and then he goes and does this…"

Gwen was still silent.

She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, eyes watering more and more. He'd never seen her look so… terrified.

It was extremely unsettling, especially with their circumstances.

Max had been quiet for a while now. David questioned whether his lack of words was because Gwen was with them, or because of the realisation. And then a thought dawned upon him.

Did Max even know what had been in the cup?

Did he think it was just a really, really odd smoothie?

Trusting Eddie, he'd said Max was around the age of sixteen… so _maybe_ he knew? But that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Cameron, a fully grown adult, had just handed a teenager a bottle of his… and treated it like any other drink. No one batted an eye. No one thought anything of it.

He should've seen this coming.

He should've caught on to Cameron's words and his predatory nature.

He should've stopped this from ever happening.

He should've listened to Gwen, and that they should've left in the night or the morning.

But none of that mattered now.

Despite being frozen in place, Gwen's eyes were darting about the bathroom most likely in search of anything to distract her. She paused, however, and David felt her fingers lightly tap his hand frantically. "It not just my paranoia, right? Y-You see it too?" She stared at the door next to her with wide eyes, specifically the hook on which you would hang your robe. "Y-You see the camera, right?"

It took a moment, but David then realised she was correct. It was very discreet, but the little red light going on and off, indicating it was recording, was impossible now not to be noticed.

And it was pointed more or less directly at Max.

Sticky, tired, blush-stained Max.

"D'you reckon he planned this? H-He wanted–"

"Of course he planned this." David muttered, gesturing to Max. "It's not very subtle, is it?"

Gwen nodded. "Yeah, yeah…" She breathed out the breath she didn't even know she was holding. She suddenly grimaced, raising a fist to her mouth. "I… I think I'm gonna be sick…"

David watched as the brunette quickly walked out the bathroom, leaving only him and Max.

In silence.

"It… It doesn't taste nice…" The raven whispered hoasely, sniffing. "It feels weird in my mouth…"

David winced. He didn't know what to do, where to begin. Where would he even start. "Do… Do you know what it is…?"

Max squinted at him in somewhat offence. "It's cum, right…?"

He licked his lips. He wasn't prepared for the innocence of Max's voice. He could only nod.

The boy lowered his head, nodding slowly. "…I don't like it. It's saltly."

David grimaced. "I'm gonna get you a drink, okay–?"

"No!" He yelped, eyes wide and desperate. "Don't leave me. P-Please."

"Max…" His voice softened. He looked up, contemplating, before nodding. "Sure, okay then. I'll stay here." He offered a small smile as he perched himself on the edge of the tub, hunching over and staring down at his hands as they rested on his lap. He sighed. "I'm sorry this happened."

"But it wasn't you fault?" Max looked up at him.

"We should've left the first night…" He muttered. "Gwen was adamant on leaving but Eddie and I said no."

The raven swallowed thickly, ignoring the taste in his throat. "Why… Why didn't you get me…?"

David perked up at the betrayed tone in his voice, brows narrowed in confusion. "You were sleeping. Eddie said that you were out cold."

Max shook his head, his face scrunching up in distress. "No, no, I didn't…" His head cocked at David's intrigued expression. "I struggle to sleep. I think it's called In…Insom–"

"Insomnia." The elder finished. "No wonder you were extra tired this morning." He paused. "Why did Edward lie?"

Max looked down, quiet. "He didn't want to disturb me. He knows I can't sleep well."

"So he was lookin out for you? Okay, that's assuring." David had no idea why he was acting so optimistic. He couldn't try and change the subject. It was immoral. "Okay, I need to get you out them clothes–" However, he cut himself off.

He could see the tears brewing in his emerald eyes, lip trembling. Acting on instinct David leapt up from the edge of the tub and over to the teen, forcing him into a tight hug. He grimaced as he felt Max bury his face into the crook of his neck, smearing the sticky substance over his skin.

He was breaking down, all the bottled up emotion hitting him at once.

Cameron had been perving on him from the very beginning.

And he'd been oblivious to it all.

Max whimpered, hands latching onto his back for dear life.

"David…" Gwen was back. "David I got him some new clothes." Her voice was low, hoarse from her apparent vomitting. "Is he okay?"

"I should've listened to you." David muttered, not looking away from Max. "We should've left. You were right to be cautious."

He heard Gwen exhale. "Don't start. That's not important anymore. We… We just need to get him out of those _fucking_ clothes." Her voice strained in somewhat disgust. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder as she crouched down next to him, Max peeling himself out of the hug. "C'mon," She pursued her lips into an assuring smile, yet the sadness remained in hee bloodshot eyes. David guessed she'd been crying. "shirt off."


	15. O r d e r

**Sorry about the late update :/ the place where we was staying on holiday had really shitty WiFi and I could only use Instagram. It was weird. But I'm back now I guess UwU This chapter is kinda short(I'd say it's like a filler chapter or something?)**

 **Anywho, enjoy!**

* * *

"C'mon, shirt off–"

" _FUCK OFF! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!_ "

Without a second thought, Max leapt up from his seat and stumbled out the bathroom, the sudden shout of his friend sending him into a panic. Gwen and David followed in suit, David making sure to grab his satchel on the way out. Upon clumsily making the descent down the spiral staircase, the trio skidded to a halt.

Cameron didn't even look at them as he pointed the shotgun in their direction, his other hand grasping a hunting knife. Edward was backed up against the dining table, hands raised in surrender as the man held the knife above his head threateningly. "Move and he's dead."

Gwen patted herself down, wincing as she couldn't feel her machete. "Shit."

"Woahhh! Hey, put the gun down–" David backed up instinctively.

Cameron turned his head to lock eyes with the redhead, cold and knowing. "Pass him over." The gun shifted to beckon Max over. "I see he enjoyed the smoothie?"

Edward chanced a side glance at his friend, eyes widening as his eyes examined his questionable state.. "Max…? No. No, y-you didn't–!" The knife was lowed slightly, a silent threat to keep quiet.

David placed a hand firmly on Max's shoulder, holding him still. "He's not going anywhere near you."

"I'll shoot." He threatened. "Now fucking send him over."

Before he gave David time to protest, Max pushed his way out of his grasp and over to the older man, avoiding his stare. Cameron let out a laugh. "Good boy. Nice to know you can follow instructions."

Gwen felt her stomach twist at his words. "You can drop the gun, now! A-And the knife! We did what you wanted!"

The man nodded. "I'm going to lower the gun. If any of you move I will kill him." Edward grunted at the closeness of the knife, not liking the grim reminder.

Gwen and David exchanged looks. "Okay, fine!" The male spoke up. "W-We won't do anything! Just… Just put it down."

Cameron smiled as he slowly put the shotgun down at his feet, not taking his stare off of them for a second. "See, nothing to worry about."

"Now what." Gwen knew there was a catch.

"Max." He looked down at the raven, ruffling his hair affectionately. "You see that glass? I want you to drink what's in it." He gestured to the basic drinking glass on the table, its contents being an odd purple colour. "Don't worry. It's not as salty as the other one."

Max stared blankly at the drink for a moment, before trotting over and raising the glass to his lips. He didn't waste anytime chugging the liquid, the foul taste being the least of his worries. He dropped the glass back down on the table, wiping his mouth with his arm.

"I know the flavour isn't that great, so I added some kool-aid to try and change it up." His voice was painfully innocent, lips curling into a smirk. "There's some other things added in, but you don't need to worry about that." Max received a pat on the head. "Run along then."

Looking up at the elder for a moment, confused, Max quietly returned to the other adults, David pulling him protectively into his embrace. "You okay?"

He nodded sharply.

"You're very fond of him, aren't you, Davey?" Cameron mused, brow raised. "It's almost like we're on the same page~"

"I'm _nothing_ like you." David spat as his fists clenched. "Now drop the knife."

"Sure thing." Edward breathed a sigh of relief as the knife clattered on the floor at his feet, making a mad dash for the others.

He yelped when he was tugged back firmly. "Ah! G-Get off–!"

"I thought you were on my side." Cameron's voice had darkened considerably, running chills down the teen's spine.

"H-How do you expect me to side with a pedo…?" He uttered.

"Eddie, c'mon, let's go–" David muttered, stepping backwards. "I hope you rott in hell."

The man chuckled. He picked up the shotgun again, pointed directly at the group. " _Likewise_. Now get on your _fucking_ knees. All of you."


	16. V i c t i m

**WARNING: chapter contains Pedophila, mentions of molestation and rape, and is very dark.**

 **Do not come for me in the comments. I've given a warning.**

* * *

"Wakey, wakey…"

David groaned as his eyes fluttered open, the sudden wash of light causing him to squint. He went to rub them, but couldn't, upon realising his hands were bound behind his back tightly with rope.

He was… still in Cameron's house?

…And at the _dining table?_

His brows furrowed as he looked around curiously, genuinely confused. He spotted his satchel over on the couch, open, for some reason, and the shotgun from earlier propped up against said couch. Gwen was sat opposite him, with Edward on her left, both staring at him with wide eyes. The brunette mumbled something under her gag.

 _Wait_.

David sighed.

He too, along with Edward, was wearing a gag.

Gwen's violet orbs were somewhat glassy and bloodshot from a lack of blinking, David guessing that she'd been waiting for him to wake up. She suddenly jabbed her head to the right, toward the head of the table.

Oh no.

Max looked at him blankly and scratched the back of his neck, yawning into his other hand. No restraints. No gag. Absolutely nothing. He was just sat there, bored.

But _why._

"Mphmphmmh!" David stared at him desperately, his eyes being a silent shout for help. A small smirk played on the raven's lips.

It was unsettling.

"Ah, good, everyone's awake!" David scowled at the owner of the voice, watching as he stood behind Max and placed a hand on his shoulder. Cameron cast a glance at him sternly, before averting his attention back to the teen. "He's so fucking cute when he's drunk…"

 _Drunk?_

No wonder Max was acting so ditzy.

"C'mon then, Max." He cooed, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "Be a good boy and do what _Daddy_ wants, okay…?"

David swallowed thickly.

Nodding, Max swiftly hopped up on the table, before turning onto his front and sliding his legs off the edge, toes just reaching the floor. He giggled drunkenly as he looked at the three hostages, as if oblivious to everything. Suddenly his eyes widened, the laughter abruptly stopping and being replaced with a sharp inhale. He winced, the feeling of his shorts being slowly pulled down to his knees sending a chill down his spine.

Cameron stared down at his ass and licked his lips. It may still be covered by his underwear, but it was definitely a turn on. "Don't worry, little Max…" He purred. "I'm not going to hurt you…" His left hand was placed tenderly on an ass cheek, massaging it and running his thumb under the boxers teasingly. Max shivered, burying his face in his arms. Cameron then used both hands to grope at the soft flesh, a hungry smirk lacing his lips.

David wanted to protest but he knew that it would be pointless.

Everyone knew that.

Even Max – biting back whimpers and cries as he was fondled – knew that he just had to deal with it.

And that broke David's heart.

The raven suddenly hitched his breath as his boxers were pulled down, now exposing him fully to Cameron. "Now that's an ass–"

"Mmphmph!" Edward jolted his chair about angrily, eyes brewing with tears. "Mph!" David could see the boy shaking, clearly in distress about the fate of his friend. Gwen kept her head low, occasionally shifting in her seat.

And then a thought dawned on him.

 _Are we going to witness a rape…?_

Max was already being stared at like a piece of meat, so it was bound to happen.

"A-Ah–!"

David was knocked out of his thoughts at the sound of a harsh slap, instantly followed by a sharp cry from the raven. Max bucked his hips at the unexpected spanking, the pain taking him off guard completely. He squirmed slightly, trying to wriggle off the table, but was unable to when Cameron clamped a hand down on his hip, holding him still.

David flinched at each smack, the cries eventually turning into choked out sobs.

Edward had his head turned the other way, his face scrunching up uncomfortably as the table jolted with every moment, creaking slightly.

"I want to hear you moan for me, little Max…" Cameron smacked harder this time, only earning a series of laboured pants. How was Max supposed to moan to this? He was sixteen, this was probably his first encounter with spanking… it was disgusting.

Max shook his head and whimpered, breathing heavily as he felt a pair of thumbs stroke up and down his inner thighs, Cameron leaning over him so he could press his clothed erection against his ass. "You're going to love this, you slut…" He fished an arm under the boy's stomach and forced him to prop himself up on his elbows, bent over the table more comfortably. He then took a fistful of hair was pulled upwards, exposing his tearstained, flushed face to the others.

Well, only David, as he was the only one watching.

His face darkened in embarrassment as his bottom lips trembled. He looked so humiliated and scared, something David had only seen briefly before.

He winced, forcing more tears out, as Cameron stepped back, the sharp tug of a zipper preparing him for the worst. David felt himself tear up, annoyed for not being strong enough for the teen. Max suddenly tensed, peering over his shoulder as two hands gripped onto his hips, slowly pulling him backwards slightly.

His breaths became irregular and panicked as he suddenly forced himself forwards, away from the man, utterly terrified.

David knew what was happening. " _Mmph! Mmhmphmph! Mph!_ " His shouts alerted Edward's attention, the redhead turning around and regretting it instantly, frozen in place.

Gwen looked up also, bloodshot eyes forming into a tearful, yet angry glare. David watched as she tugged down her gag and bolted off the chair, skidding in the direction of the shotgun and pointing it directly at the pedophile.

Cameron halted, but kept his hands on the teen, thumbs stroking his bare skin. "That explains why you seemed so interested in the floor…" He grumbled flatly.

"Get your disgusting hands off of him." She spat, finger hovering over the trigger. " _Now._ "

The man glanced down at the shaking boy, hands slowly running downwards to squeeze his ass again, causing him to buck his hips uncomfortably, his rear grazing his exposed member.

 _Bang_

Gwen lowered the gun as Cameron collapsed onto the floor, the headshot killing him instantly. Max collapsed also, but this time it was onto the table in a sobbing mess. He managed to pull back up his boxers and shorts, with some help from Gwen, and was carried over the dead body and only the couch, laying awkwardly on his front so he didn't cause himself any additional pain. The brunette then untied Edward and David, removing their gags and advising David to keep the rope in his pockets in case it was needed for the future.

Edward was crouched beside the couch, stroking his friend's hair gently. "Y-You're okay now, M-Max…" He whispered, offering a sad smile. David refused to let go of Gwen as she hugged him, the redhead muttering endless " _thank you_ "s and " _you saved him_ "s over and over into her ear, choking out most of the words between sobs.

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 **Reviews are greatly appreciated**


	17. D r u g g e d

**Short chapter just with my boy Eddie UwU**

 **Filler chapter(kinda) but does have major plot detail in it so~**

* * *

Edward watched as his friend finally gave in and fell sleep, but still continued to pet his hair soothingly. His heart had stopped racing as fast, and his headache had ceased a bit, but he knew for a fact that this would stick with him forever.

I had yet to thank Gwen verbally, but was pretty certain she didn't want any praise. She didn't seem too pleased when David had forced her into a tight hug and balled his eyes out, either. Despite her heroic actions, Edward couldn't help but feel a slight bitterness towards her.

David on the other hand was firing shots of gratitude constantly at her without a second thought. The two had turned their attention to the potential supplies littered around the house, searching through cupboards and shelves and boxes and cabinets. They'd both wondered upstairs a while ago, trusting Edward to watch over Max.

The redhead sighed, back leaning against the couch and head resting next to Max's. He could feel the raven's soft breaths on his face. His closed his eyes, exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Max." He whispered to himself, as if the younger was awake. "I've put you through so much shit and I can't even get you of it–" His eyes snapped open as he felt the couch move, Max groaning and shifting in his sleep. His brows furrowed in distress, a sharp inhale sounding from his lips.

 _Nightmare… can't blame him, though…_ Edward began stroking the mop of black hair again, smiling as it seemed to calm Max down. As happy as it made him, he eventually stopped and got to his feet, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfying _click_.

His eyes scanned the surrounding area curiously, until they landed on the dining table.

It was just a piece of furniture, but it sent chills down his spine.

Quietly he walked over and picked up the familiar item, grimacing. It was the glass Max had drunken the purple drink out of. Without even thinking Edward stuck in his finger and fished out a taster of the kool-aid-infused concoction, sticking it into his mouth.

While he could definitely taste the kool-aid, it did have an unlikable additional taste. Almost like asparagus or something. No wonder Max wanted it down fast.

And then a thought came into his head.

He placed down the glass and headed over to the kitchen, focused on finding out what the hell was in the drink. The cabinets where mostly bare, aside from essential food items, lots of cans and glasses and an empty wine bottle(Max must've drank that as well). However, it wasn't long before he stumbled across a small pile of koolaid packets, a few sticks of asparagus, and a plastic tub containing tablets.

Curiously he pulled out the tub to get a closer look. The only indication of what the hell the drugs were was the Sharpie-d word on the front.

"Aphrodisiac…? What the fuck is that?" He muttered to himself, hastily putting the tub back into the cabinet.

 _Maybe Gwen and David know?_ He thought. _It probably just makes you sleepy…_

Carefully he returned to his spot on the floor and against the couch, pursing his lips into a soft smile as Max let out soft pants, face scrunching up in discomfort. He squirmed about restlessly, whining.

Edward stared at him. "Hey, it's just a nightmare, Max…" Once again he continued to stroke the teen's head gently. "Don't worry… I'm here, it's okay…"

* * *

 **Oof.**


	18. D e c i s i o n s

**Chapter summary UwU: David has to make a decision when left with drugged Max.**

 **Y'all better prepare your asses.**

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After changing into the clothes Gwen had found earlier, Max was more than eager to chug down the glass of water he was handed. David figured that all the crying had trigged a headache.

But now the four of them were taking shelter in a nearby house - abandoned, of course - as no one wanted to stay in that dreaded place much longer. The house wasn't as spacious as the og house the four had met in, but it was a decent house nonetheless. Gwen had made a beeline for upstairs, wanting to one, check for people. And two, to most likely sort out her mental state in the form of sitting by herself, alone.

Edward had anxiously followed her not long after her disappearance, reluctantly letting Max out of his arms and onto the couch. He insisted on carrying the boy around until they found shelter, not wanting him to be hurt. David couldn't help but smile sadly at the bond the two teen's had.

But with both Gwen and Eddie wondering about upstairs, it was just the two of them.

Max had forced himself to sit up properly on the couch despite the initial pain, David choosing to sit next to him, but keeping aware of personal space.

"You didn't deserve to go through that, Max…" The redhead muttered grimly, averting his stare. Every time he was met with those turquoise orbs all he could see was sadness. Sadness he was responsible for. "I hope you know that."

There was a moment of silence before he got a reply. "I-I know…–"

"Nothing like that is ever going to happen again. I promise." His voice was stern as he took hold of the boy's hand assuringly.

Max bit his lip as it trembled slightly, brows furrowed. A chill went up his spine at the sudden contact. "C-Can w-we go and find G-Gwen?" He asked, already pushing himself off the couch somewhat desperately.

He swallowed thickly.

"Hey, Max, d-don't strain yourself…" He effortlessly caught up with him. "We can wait down here–"

"I don't want to be treated like fucking b-baby." Max growled, biting back a sharp gasp as the same odd feeling messed with his stomacher again. "G-Go away."

David reluctantly nodded and walked on ahead, hoping that he could find Eddie and Gwen before Max even attempted the stairs. He could see the dark flush staining his cheeks from embarrassment. "I'll go on ahead, okay? Take your time, Max." He offered a small smile which was flat out ignored. "You should sit. I'll go get them–"

"N-No…" Max used his hand to hold himself steady against the wall. "Ah…"

"You alright, Max?" David paused and turned around, flickering his stare over the boy. "Max?"

Max lowered his head and wiped it with his arm. He let out a strained grunt and shuddered, hissing. "F-Fuck…"

"You okay, Max?" He bent down to eye level, forcing him to lock gazes. His eyes were darkened and hazy, brows furrowed. "Shit. Look, c'mon, we just need to–"

The raven suddenly latched his hand into his shoulder, stopping himself from stumbling over. "I… Ah, it hurts…" He spoke through gritted teeth, breaths now uneven pants. David nodded as he carefully sat him down against a nearby wall, grimacing as he watched him fidget uncomfortably.

"What hurts? Max, what hurts–"

"Ha… Ha…" He struggled to catch his breath as the sheen of sweat reappeared on his forehead, now accompanied by a deep blush staining his cheeks. "I-I can't… D-David–" Suddenly he winced, not being able to suppress the moan that escaped his lips.

David stared at him in shock.

 _It's like he's been slipped some kind of aphrodisiac… like in the drink– oh god._

How was he supposed to help him? Max was clearly in pain for all the wrong reasons, and he couldn't do anything. It was like he was an animal in heat – but yet there was no alpha around to rut with.

"Da… David, please–!" Max whined, his shirt sticking to his body with sweat. "I don't know wh-what to do–!"

The problem was, neither did David.

It _was_ just the two of them, after all.

He hated to admit it, but he wished Cameron was with them to put the boy out his misery. Yes, Max would despise it, but it would get the job done easily.

It was pointless hoping, though.

"Ah-Ahh, I-I– _Nhhh_ –!" His breaths were hitched, tears beginning to pool in his eyes as he kept his hand firmly over his mouth, attempting to stifle the noises.

The redhead stared down at him, a grim line on his lips. "H-Hang on…" The satchel was opened quickly as he began searching through it, trying his best to ignore the muffled pants and moans. It didn't take long before he halted abruptly, carefully pulling out the unknown object.

He swallowed thickly.

So that was why Cameron had the bag.

He should've checked before leaving.

But now, in his hands, was a decent sized dildo. The only good thing was that it appeared to be unused and quite sanitary. Slowly he turned to Max, licking his lips hastily. The glassy green orbs were quick to spot the toy, the moans being silenced as he shuddered. "D-David…"

"It'll stop this, Max. I can't help you, y-you know that!" He handed it to the boy and shook his head sadly. "I'm not going to help you. I'm _not_ a pedophile. Just…" He closed his eyes. "Just do what you need to do."

"Is there n-no lube…?" David grimaced at the worry in the raven's voice.

He shook his head again. "No."

Max shuddered. "I-I'm not, _ahh_ , I'm not using it–"

"Max, you have to–" The dildo was suddenly thrown aimlessly into the direction of the living room, the raven's hands shaking violently. "Max–"

"A-Ahh… Nhh, n-no! _D-David_ …" He whined.

This was hopeless.

He couldn't 'help' Max.

No one could.

Unless… "I have an idea. I-I'll be back in a bit–"

"Wh-Where are you, ngh, going–? D-Don't go…!" He whimpered as the redhead went to dash off, biting his lip to hold back any unwanted noises.

David swallowed. It was the only morally correct thing to do.

He wasn't a pedophile, neither was Gwen.

This had to work.

"Getting potential help."


End file.
